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Cessna 408 SkyCourier

The name SkyCourier is appropriate for this clean sheet design of Textron Aviation, developed in the late 2010s, as its main purpose is flying packages for FedEx. However, while most orders so far are indeed cargo planes without cabin windows, there are also aircraft with (nearly) oval cabin windows. For the rest it is quite a unique combination for this size of aircraft. The Cessna 408 has a rounded square fuselage cross section that quickly tapers after the large upward opening cargo/cabin door. At the end of the fuselage is a T-tail with hardly any curves. The rudder extends down all the way to the tail cone. The front of the aircraft is quite rounded, with a flat rounded nose and four curved cockpit windows. The crew can enter the cockpit via doors at the side of the cockpit. The wings are placed on top of the fuselage, and braced towards the main landing gear stubs. The all single wheel gear is fixed. Finally, the SkyCourier has two turboprop engines hanging under the wings. They each have two exhausts, one on the top left side of the nacelle and one on the mid right side. All-in-all this aircraft should be easy to recognise.  

Contrary to the fuselage and tail the nose of the Cessna SkyCourier is quite rounded, with a flat oval shape and four curved cockpit windows. Note the different locations of the engine exhaust on the sides of the nacelles.

From this angle you can see that the wing braces attach to the stubs that hold the fixed main landing gear.

The T-tail of the Cessna 408 is all straight lines. The rudder extends down to the tail cone. Note the upwards opening large cargo door.

Confusion possible with

IPTN N219

an 14

No aircraft is really similar in appearance to the Cessna 408, but the N219 comes closest. The N219 has a true cruciform tail though. Also the fixed main landing gear has a wider span and the wings are not braced. (photo WikiMedia/LAPAN)